Sectional hot top with channel shaped wiping and holding device



Search O United States Patent 1 1 3,540,689

[72] Inventor Michael D. Ln Bate [56] Rel-"megs cued i 5311:. Ave.,lllwood City, Pennsylvania UNITED STATES PATENTS 21 A 713 090 1,557,18310/1925 Nloats 85/5UX m mrch 1,817,775 8/1931 si e ss/sux [45] PatentedNo 1970 3,058,182 10/1962 Urmetz e181. 249 202 1,235,166 7/1917 Stewartet al.. 249/197X 3,318,564 5/1967 LaBate 249/197 3,352.530 11/1967 Thiem.5. 249/202 I Primary Examiner-Robert D. Baldwin [54] SECTIO NAL HOT TOPWITH'CHANNEL SHAPED Attorney-Webster Harpma" WIPING AND HOLDING DEVICE 1g 9 4 Drum: ABSTRACT: A combustible hot top formed of four vertically[52] US. Cl. 249/106, standing sections arranged for self-support inassembled rela- 249/202 tion on an ingot mold and having a horizontallydisposed chan- [51] Int. Cl. 322d 7/10 lie] in the outer surface of eachof said sections with wiping [50] Field nfSearcll 249/202, deviceshaving spaced parallel flanges extending outwardly 197-201, 106; 29/521;287/126; 85/5 C0llSlI|I8 therefrom disposed in said horizontal channelsfor, sealingly engaging said ingot mold.

1 l6 /j I /I l Patented Nov. 17, 1970 INVENTOR.

IO MICHEAL D. LABATE ATTORNE Y This invention relates to a combustiblehot top for an ingot mold in which hot metal is cast and moreparticularly to a combustible hot top incorporating an improved wipingdevice which acts to seal the inner surface of the ingot mold and theouter surface of the combustible hot top so as to prevent molten metalfrom flowing upwardly therebetween.

The principal object of the invention is an improvedwiper device for ahot t'op whichwill yieldingly engage an ingot mold and seal the areabetween the hot top and the ingot mold.

A further object of the invention is the provision ofa simple and easilyformed wiping device for a hot top for installation in and registry withan ingot mold in which metal is to be cast.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a wipingdevice for a hot top and incorporting dual means for sealingly engagingthe inner surface of an ingot mold.

The hot top with improved wiping device shown and described hereincomprises an improvement in the art and particularly with respect to themeans heretofore known for sealing a hot top with respect to an ingotmold. Those skilled in the art will understand that a hot top such as aconsumable hot top is positioned with its lower end partially within aningot mold in which molten metal is to be cast and that the hot top issupported onthe ingot mold by various means, as for example, in thepresent disclosure, where shoulders on the outer surfaces of'thehot topdirectly engage the upper end of the ingot mold. The particular problemfaced in casting ingots from molten metal is in preventing the moltenmetal from flowing upwardly between the lower ends of the hot top andthe inner wall of the ingot mold and this is accomplished by the presentinvention by providing dualwiping flanges which distortably engage theinner walls-ofthe ingot mold and effectively seal the space between thehot top and the ingot mold against the flow of molten metal. 7

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, theinvention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope ofthe invention. i

The invention is illustratedin the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the uppermost portion of an ingot moldshowing a hot top position thereon.

FIG; 2 is a vertical section through the hot top of FIG. 1 showing theimprovedtwiping device.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of the upperportion of an ingo mold and theupper portion of an ingot cast therein utilizing the hot top and wipingdevice ofthe invention.

the consumable hot top. The flanges on the channel member 18 are spacedvertically 'with respect to one another and extend outwardly, a distancegreater than the overall projection of the shoulder 16. Thechannelmember l8 may obviously be formed of sheet metal and when the hottop is installed on an ingot mold as shown in FIG. 1 it is supported bythe shoulder 16 with the channel member ld disposed within the openupper-end of the ingot mold; l and so that the'flanges of the channelmember 18 will wipingly engage the inner surfaces of the ingot mold 10and effect a double seal with respect thereto. Additionally, the channelmember 18 and it's double flanges, will serve to hold the consumable hottop in position in the ingot mold. Additional serrated resilient members19 are also provided for this purpose.

Still referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will'be obvious to thoseskilled in the art that a steel strapping band may be posi- 'ti'onedaround the exterior of the consumable-hot top and disposed within thechannel member 18 so that it acts to both I the'body' of the ingotldoesnot completely fill the ingot mold I FIG. 4 is a vertical sectionthrough' the upper portion of an ingot mold and a hot top disposedtherein prior to the pouring ofmolten metal thereinto. I I

By referring to the drawings and FIG. I in particular it will bescenthat the upper portion of an ingot mold 10 has been disclosed with theupper end 11 thereofdefining an opening in which hot metal is poured.The opening receives and positions a consumable hot top formed ofoppositely disposed side wall sections 12 and 13 and oppositely disposedend wall sections 14 and I5. Eachofthe sections 12, 13, 14 and 15 isprovided with a longitudinally extending outwardly projecting shoulder16 and provided with a horizontally extending groove im.- mediatelythere beneath and parallel therewith.

By referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the groove may be seen to beindicated by the numeral 17 and it will be observed that it extendslongitudinally in each of the sections 12, 13, 14 and 15 oftheconsumable hot top.

Still referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that achannel member or wiper strip 18 including a base and a pair oflongitudinally extending flanges is disposed in each of the grooves 17so that the channel members 18 are in end-to-end relation and extendcompletely around the exterior surfaces of r "with which said hot top isto be used 'to effecta double seal hold the hot top in assembly andsecure the channel member 18 thereto-The band isshown in cross sectionin FIG. 2 of the drawings indicated by the numeral 20. Alternately,other devices may be employed for securing the hot 'top in assembledrelation a'nd/or securing the channel members18 in the assembly.

By referring now to FIG. 4 of the drawings, the consumable hot top maybe been installed in the upper end of the ingot mo ld'10,both the hottop and the ingot moldbe'ing shown in vertical sections. The dualflanges of the channel member 18 will be seen to be distorted as theywipingly engagethe inner surface of the ingot mold 10. It will beobvious that they completely and effectively seal off a portion of thearea between the consumable hot top and the ingot mold and therebyachieve the primary object of the invention by preventing molten metalfrom flowing upwardly into the sealed area. 7

By referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, an ingot I is shown in castposition in the ingot mold 10 with the'crop-end C thereof extendingabove-the topsurface 11 of the ingot mold 10 as is necessary so that thecrop end C can be engaged and the ingot I withdrawn from themold 10. Itwill further be observed that 10 as the area around the crop end C andwithin the uppermost portion of the ingot mold 10' has not been filledwith mol ten metal due to the action of the wiping device hereinbeforedescribed. In FIG. 3 of the" drawings, this area is indicated by v theletter A. I

' It will thus be seen that a improved wiping device for a con- Isumable hot top has. been disclosed and which wiping device meets theseveral objects ofthe invention, and having thus described my invention.

Iclaim: 1. The combination ofa sectional hot top and a wiping andholding device therefor said sectional hot top having horizontallydisposed grooves in the outer surfaces of'said sections ar-' ranged forend-to-end alignment, said wiping device comprising sections-of achannel shaped sheet metalmernber including a base and a pair of spacedflanges disposed in said grooves in end-to-end relation with saidflanges extendirigout of said grooves beyond the outermost surface ofsaid hot top, said.

flanges each engageable with the inner wall of an ingot mold therewithand'deformable upon engagement with the inner wall of said moldto locksaid hot top to said mold to preclude ready removal of the hot top fromsaid mold.

2. The combination set forth in claim land-wherein the hot top sectionshave outwardly extending horizontally disposed shoulders above saidgrooves.

3. The combination set forth inclaim 2 andwherein said shoulders areadjacent the upper walls of said grooves.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 and whereinthe sec tional hottop is formed of combustible material.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 and wherein a band is positionedaround said not top sections and wiper and holds the same in assembly.

thereof with the' inner wall adapted to lock said hot top againstwithdrawal therefrom.

7. In the combination of an ingot mold and a sectional hot top, animproved wiping and holding device on saidhot top comprising a channelshaped sheet metal wiping strip having a I base and a pair of spacedflanges; said wiping strip disposed in a complementary recess in theouter surface of said hot top with the flanges thereof pointingoutwardly beyond the outermost surface of said hot top, the outercircumference of said flanges greater than the inner circumference ofthe ingot mold LII 4 a and in engagement with the inner wall of saidingot mold to cf feet a double seal therewith and deformed to lock saidhot top to said ingot mold to preclude ready removal of the hot top fromthe ingot mold.

' 8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein a strapping'band ispositioned around said hot top between said spaced flanges of saidwiping strip to hold said wiping strip and hot top sections in assembledrelationship.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein additional serratedyieldable members are provided on the'hot top and in locking engagementwith the ingot moldto hold the hot top in position on the ingot mold.

